Scaffold horse

ABSTRACT

A WOODEN SCAFFOLD HORSE MADE IN SEVERAL READILY ASSEMBLED AND DISSAEMBLED PARTS EACH BEING CONSTRUCTED TO COOPERATE WHEN IN BOTH KNOCKED DOWN AND STEP-UP POSITION OF PARTS WHEREBY TO FORM A MORE SECURE AND SYMMETRICAL PACKAGE FOR BOTH HANDLING AND SHIPMENT AND A MORE RIGID LOAD SUPPORTING HORSE WITH THE MINIMUM OF TIME AND LABOR. D R A W I N G

E. W. KNUTH SCAF'FOLD HORSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1970INVENTOI ATTORNEY p 20, 1971 E. w. KNUTH 3,605,945

SCAFFOLD HORSE Filed July 28, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f/ 7 /"/////J////////A l INVENTOR.

United States Patent Office 3,605,945 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,605,945SCAFFOLD HORSE Eugene W. Knuth, Land OLakes, Wis. 54540 Filed July 28,1970, Ser. No. 58,760 Int. Cl. E04g 1/32; F16m 11/00 US. Cl. 182-151 8Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wooden scaffold horse made inseveral readily assembled and disassembled parts each being constructedto cooperate when in both knocked down and set-up position of partswhereby to form a more secure and symmetrical package for both handlingand shipment and a more rigid load supporting horse with the minimum oftime and labor.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION THE INVENTION The invention is primarilyconcerned with the manner and means whereby a more rigid assembly of theseveral necessary parts is effected with a minimum of effort and timeand produces a better shaped package for both handling shipment as wellas one which may be repeatedly set up for use and knocked down withoutdifliculty of sticking parts usually resulting in damage from the use ofwooden dowel securing means between parts. A further advantage resultsfrom the means whereby the collapsed interconnected leg members areautomatically secured, when packed, and forced apart when unpacked andlifted from the work plank where packaged, permitting the leg units tobe quickly slid to a required adjusted position under light clampingaction on the parallel work plank edges for final securement with onlylight additional added pressure.

A primary object of my improved scalfold horse is to provide a singlemeans which serves both as a stop and also as a fastener for the widerends of said tapered leg member units, said leg units being furtherprovided with slots at opposite ends which extend inward from the endsthereof to receive therein a rigid securing means which projectsupwardly from the underside of said work plank, certain of whichsupports the folded leg member units in packaged position and which legunits support the plank in set-up working position.

A further object concerns the twistable fastener means which passes intoand through the registering slots in the smaller or narrower end of eachtapered leg member units whereby to cooperate with spring-actionspreader and the rigid fastener members to align position and hold saidleg units on said plank without rattle or movement, said twistablefastener means also being adapted when twisted to engage the outersurface of said leg units to cooperate with said spring acting spreaderto secure said units to said plank and to pass through said slot toforceably release said units from said plank.

A still further object of my improved scaffold horse provides springhinge means connecting the spreader means at the inner side of one legmember of each pair of leg units whereby the spreader means or boardwill parallel both interconnected leg members and be sandwichedin-between them as shown in FIG. 6 when the parts are packaged, saidparts serving to exert force to spread said leg members of each unitwhen separated from said plant and to interengage with the leg memberopposite the one to which it is secured to forceably lock said legmembers to said plank in the desired set-up position of parts.

Other objects and advantages of my improved scaffold horse will beappreciated as the description continues with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows in perspective the invention in set-up position of parts;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the partssomewhat enlarged;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the package showing the parts thereof intheir folded position;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side edge view of the parts folded in package forming andhandling position ready for wrapping and shipment as required;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section view through one pair of the foldedinterconnected leg units and attached intermediate spreader strutshowing these parts ready for shipment but removed from the packagedposition of parts of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmental sectional view of a part of one leg element andattached spreader showing the spring hinge connecting the two;

FIG. 8 is another fragmental view with the parts broken and in sectionto show the bifurcated end of the spreader strut and the spring wirecoiled about the pintle rod with the ends thereof bent at right anglesand anchored into the inner face of one of the leg members;

FIG. 9 is an end view of interconnected legs of FIG. 6 in automaticexpanded set-up position of parts showing the positions to which thestrut may assume at such times;

FIG. 10 is an end perspective view of the leg parts when in the positionof FIG. 9 and prior to fixed clamping with the side edges of the workplank;

FIG. 11 is an end perspective view of the parts when in the foldedposition of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 12 is a view taken on the line 12-12 of FIG. 3.

In accordance with the invention the two pair of interconnected taperedlegs are each formed with slots at opposite ends thereof as best shownin FIGS. 10 and 11. Retaining members in the form of nail-type fastenerstwo of which have modified relatively rotatable right angularly turnedheads so as to pass through the registering slots at the smaller end ofeach pair of tapered leg member openings and driven into the plank toform the package. After this it is only necessary to lift that end ofthe leg member relative to the plank under the securing means and slideit toward the opposite end of the plank to release the larger end ofsaid pair of legs from under the flat base heads of the rigid combinedfastener and stop elements.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings the horse comprises a work supportingplank 2 having interconnected leg pairs or units 4, 6 and 8, 10clampingly embracing the side edges of the plank 2 adjacent oppositeends thereof. The maximum width of each leg member is substantiallyequal to the width of the top board or work plank 2. The edges of theplank are grooved, as at 12, 14 to slidingly receive the wide end of theleg units during assembly. When each pair of interconnected legs 4, 6and 8, 10 are spread and slid into the final position of FIG. 1 thespreader strut members 16 are then swung up and forced into positionagainst the cross strips 18 secured to the legs in any suitable mannersuch as by nails or glue. Each leg member has groove 20 intersected by awell 22 into which the ends of the bails 24 are seated.

The interconnecting bails 24 are formed as an open wire loop having freeends 26, 28 provided with lateral extensions fitting into the wells 22all as will be readily understood.

Each of the leg units 4, 6 and 8, is provided with notches at thecorners 30, 32 providing abutments for the angle bent parts of the bails'24. A flexible strap 34 is secured at each of its ends to a leg to holdcaptive the bail whose bent end is pivoted in the well 22 in theopposite leg member of each leg pair. Each leg is also provided at eachend with registering open ended slots 36 for snugly receiving thevertical shaft of headed nail-like fasterners. As shown in FIG. 3 thenail-like leg fastener 38 also functions as a stop for the leg units, issecured adjacent the opposite ends of the work supporting plank 2 formovement into the slot 36 at the wide end of the legs when packaging.Each said end fastener 38 is formed with a rounded disc-like head 40that is much larger than the slot so as to bear on the outer surface ofthe legs 6 and 10 on each side of the slot to securely retain the legunits when packaged on the under face of the plank 2. Fasteners 42 arealso mounted in each side of the center of the plank and extend upthrough the registering slots in the narrow ends of the leg units torigidly retain that narrow end of each of said units in contact with theplank. Each said fastener 42 is formed with a shaft 44 which has a screwthreaded lower end not shown which is fastened in the plank and a rightangularly bent over upper end which permits twisting of the fastener byhand from a position over the slot to a position over the top surface ofthe outer leg members whereby the smaller end of the leg units 4, 6 and8, 10 are retained in fixed bearing contact with the under surface ofthe plank for further packaging, To thereafter release these units it isonly necessary to twist or turn the bent over end to a position over theslot 42 through which it may pass, in which the units may then be movedup free of the fastener 42 and its head 44 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

As leg members 4 and 10 of each unit are provided with an invertedU-shaped staple 46 and each spreader 'board member 16 is formed with alongitudinal slot 48 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to receive these staples 46when the parts are to be packaged. A band 50 is passed across theseSpreaders and fitted into a slot formed in legs 4, 8 and a similar slotin the spreader member 16 to retain the member against the leg.

In forming the package fasteners elements 38 and 42 may be driven orsecured into the plank in the positions illustrated in FIG. 3 with theheads 40 and legs 44 spaced from the under surface of the plank anamount equal to the thickness of the leg units, plus the thickness ofstrips 18, plus an amount to receive straps 34 and the bails. Forshipping the legs are collapsed as shown at 8, 10 in FIG. 3 and the openended slots 36 are pushed under the head 40 of fasteners 38. At thisposition of parts the slots 36 in the narrow ends of the leg units willdrop over the bent parallel fastener heads 44. The fastener heads 44 arethen twisted to locking position over the legs 6 and 10. The package canobviously be unassembled by merely twisting the fastener heads 44 toparallel the unit slots 36. This frees narrow end of each leg unit forupward movement over the fasteners 42 and then for lateral movement fromunder heads 40. The fasteners need not be positioned with closetolerances in order to assemble and retain the parts since the lateraldimensions of heads 40 and legs 44 allow great freedom in positioning ofthe fasteners. If desired, the fasteners may be driven through the slotsand into the plank to assemble the package. This mode of assemblypermits the fasteners to be driven close to the bottom of the slots.

In FIGS. 6 to 11 a modified form of spreader strut 16 is shown, saidstrut comprises a generally rectangular board which as shown in FIGS. 1to 5, the primary difference being the means 65 for fixedly connectingthis strut to the inner side of leg members 4 and 8 by the pivotal rodbest shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. This mounting of the struts 16' at theirbored bifurcated end permits them to be sandwiched in-between thesuperimposed leg members as shown in FIG. 6. The use of the slot canthus be illuminated in the strut bodies, as the hinge thus provided willhold the struts aligned with the adjacent opposing sides of the foldedlegs of each unit when packaged. On the opposing, central inner faces ofthe leg units as shown as 63' FIGS. 6 and 10 is shown a vertical seriesof spaced grooves 63 into which the free end of the strut 16' is adaptedto seat when forced out automatically by a spring steel wire 62 coiledabout the pintle 65' between the extended side ends 61' of the strut16'. In order to automatically exert lifting force upon the structure asthey are lifted from their packaged condition one end of the coiled wire62' is rested upon the inner face of the leg 4' and the opposite endthereof upon the angled surface of the strut between the spaced extendedends 61. As shown in FIG. 8 the remote ends of the pintle rod 65' beyondthe sides of the bored strut ends are turned at substantial right anglesand the ends thereof are driven or otherwise attached rigidly to theadjacent leg. It will thus be seen that the strut will automaticallyposition itself horizontally between the legs of each unit as the legunits are spread in the act of releasing them from packaged condition sothat it is only necessary thereafter to place the side edges of the workplank 2 between the spaced wide ends of the interconnected legs andslide them to the desired points thereon whereupon a firm force isapplied to the underside of the strut to advance the free end thereofinto the next groove of the series 63' to finally fix all parts for use.

I claim:

1. A knockdown scaffold horse comprising an elongated rectangular workplank, two pairs of hingedly interconnected superimposed leg members,spring acting spreader means between each paid of said leg members,resistering slots extending outwardly from opposite ends of the legmembers of each pair and means projecting from one side of said plankand entering the registering slots of each pair and operative to retainsaid leg members on said plank against the action of said spreadermeans.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which certain of said securing means aretwistable to engage one of said leg members adjacent one of said slotsand secure said leg member substantially parallel with the other of saidpair of leg members and said intermediate spreader means.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which certain of said securing means haveheads which are twistable to a p0sition parallel with its registeringslot whereby to pass therethrough and release said pairs of leg membersfrom said work plank.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said spring acting spreader meansis automatically operative to space the leg members of each pair andcause one end thereof to clamp upon the side edges of said plank.

5. A knockdown scaffold horse comprising an elongated rectangular workplank, two pairs of hingedly interconnected, superposed leg members,spring acting spreader means mounted intermediate each pair of said legmembers, registering slots extending inward from the opposite ends ofthe leg members of each pair and securing means projecting from one sideof said plank and through said slots to engage the uppermost leg memberof each said pair to retain same on said plank against the action ofsaid spreader means.

6. A scaffold horse package comprising a rectangular plank, a pair ofsimilar tapered legs supported one on the other and having at the widerends thereof the plank with the maximum width of the legs adjacent saidone end and being substantially equal to the width of the plank, asimilar pair of legs similarly supported adjacent the other end of theplank, said pairs being positioned adjacent each other, a slot extendinginto the wide end of each pair of legs, and fasteners secured in theplank and extending through the slot, each fastener having a headportion adapted to overlie the outermost leg member adjacent the slot.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which a slot extends into the narrowerends of each pair of legs, and twistable fasteners secured in the plankand extending through said last-mentioned slots.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which resilient means exert pressure on amember between each paid of legs, a slot extending into the narrow endof each said pair of References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1963 Knuth182-226 4/1968 Knuth 182186 0 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner US.Cl. X.R. 182186, 226

